Evaluation of Community-based Hypertension Control Programme in South Korea

INTRODUCTION: This study was conducted to provide an overview of the community-based hypertension and diabetes control programme of 19 cities in Korea and to evaluate its effectiveness in controlling hypertension at the community level. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this longitudinal observational study, we analysed the data of 117,264 hypertensive patients aged ≥65 years old from the time of their first enrolment in July 2012 to October 2013 (up to their 2-year follow-up). RESULTS: The hypertension control rate of 72.5% at the time of enrolment increased to 81.3% and 82.4% at 1 and 2 years after enrolment. Treatment continuity, completion of hypertension self-management education, and longer enrolment duration in the programme contributed to improvements in hypertension control rate. CONCLUSION: This programme was characterised by a public health-clinical partnership at the community level. Despite its simplicity, the programme was evaluated as a successful attempt to control hypertension among patients aged >65 years at the community level.